Horrific Day/Night In The U.S. South

[slick1ru2]

If you saw the movie Twister, that is what is happening here tonight in Georgia and has been going on all day to the west of us. It will be the worse night in history for the amount of deaths from storms. I dodged tornadoes all night. Hope everyone on GTPlanet made it though this horrible event OK. I feel so lucky tonight.

 

[Omnis]

Yeah man it was messed up. My cousin watched a tornado pass by his house and go on to destroy a whole neighborhood.

 

[Horde_R35]

I dont understand how people can actually live in the "Tornado alley"! Portugal has fabulous weather has you might know, so that stuff is very strange to me!

I hope the casualties stop:tup:!

 

[Omnis]

I bet you can't understand why japanese people live on the ring of fire too.

 

[Horde_R35]

I bet you can't understand why japanese people live on the ring of fire too.

Just googled it lol! Yeah not really... its a whole diferent reality to me! It would freak me out!

 

[Rossticles]

It was much worse about a week ago. There were like 150 in one day if I recall. I'm a little too far south to have ever seen a tornado. I don't ever want to.

With regards to where people live, many don't really have a choice. I'm lucky to be in a city I love. Those living in midwestern states (Kansas, Nebraska, Arkansas, etc.) I feel very sorry for. There is nothing going on there, ever. I would probably live in the Ring of Fire. The Pacific Ocean is beautiful. Portugal has volcanos and has had earthquakes. Natural disasters affect everyone.

 

[Horde_R35]

Portugal has volcanos and has had earthquakes. Natural disasters affect everyone.

Yeah but not every year! The only Volcano i know of is in Açores (Faial island) and never heard of it going active! Heartquakes: the only one to mention was in 1755, when almost half of Lisbon drowned in the Tsunami immediately after!



EDIT: 1755 earthquake was a 9 on the Richter scale and the Tsunami had 20 meters high wave (Japans wave was 10 meters...)!

 

[McLaren]

I dont understand how people can actually live in the "Tornado alley"! Portugal has fabulous weather has you might know, so that stuff is very strange to me!

I hope the casualties stop:tup:!

We live in it because we learn to adapt to the potential threat that's always there. Same reason people in California don't worry much about earthquakes.

My condolences to all those affected by the storms. Do not want to see another disaster happen like in Oklahoma '99.

 

[Azuremen]

I dont understand how people can actually live in the "Tornado alley"! Portugal has fabulous weather has you might know, so that stuff is very strange to me!

Cause some places have other ways to make up for it. Most people think it is nuts that I like the winters here, where it doesn't get above 10C for 5 months of the year, and averages 0C for at least 3. Flip side is the snow is gorgeous. I've been without power for over a week before due to ice storms, and many days a year where I can't leave my house if I wanted because of the snow fall. Largest temp swing I've seen was in July... 0C to 38C in a day.

Though I can say I'd never want to live in Tornado Alley. Hope things settle soon out there; I've never seen a Tornado first hand so I can't really relate to that experience.

 

[Horde_R35]

Cause some places have other ways to make up for it. Most people think it is nuts that I like the winters here, where it doesn't get above 10C for 5 months of the year, and averages 0C for at least 3. Flip side is the snow is gorgeous. I've been without power for over a week before due to ice storms, and many days a year where I can't leave my house if I wanted because of the snow fall. Largest temp swing I've seen was in July... 0C to 38C in a day.

Though I can say I'd never want to live in Tornado Alley. Hope things settle soon out there; I've never seen a Tornado first hand so I can't really relate to that experience.

WTF?!

 

[Omnis]

Heartquakes!

 

[RSnider]

I've been living in Oklahoma for nearly 25 years and I've never seen a tornado first hand.

 

[Horde_R35]

I've been living in Oklahoma for nearly 25 years and I've never seen a tornado first hand.

You better not!

 

[Unibob]

I'm hoping and praying that my friends that are/were in the paths of these storms are ok.

We haven't had any twisters in Michigan (that have been comfirmed by the NWS) yet this season, but as of 07 UTC, some neighboring cities have the wettest April on record, and my NWS office has just set a record for wettest month on record at their office.

I have driven through a tornado at night and I will tell you, it is one of the scariest things you will ever experience, if you manage to be lucky and come out untouched like I did, despite my vehicle coming off the ground and start to turn.

NWS = National Weather Service.

[EDIT] First tornado of the year has been confirmed in Michigan. A NWS Storm Survey confirmed an EF-0 tornado hit Allegen County just SW of Grand Rapids Tuesday night. No casualties reported with this one, however the same cannot be said for the southern states, over 200 killed from what I've heard.

 

[mcfizzle]

Where I grew up we had a devastating F5 tornado in 1990 that killed 29.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1990_Plainfield_tornado
The sound it made was something I will never forget and seeing the force of the winds was amazing. I have since moved but it seemed like we had mutliple tornadoes every year as a kid. It is something I never eant to experience again.

My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone in the south.

 

[CodeRedR51]

 

[Ryou]

I also live in Georgia, and I was lucky for the Tornado to miss my house. Same happened about 2-3 years ago.

 

[lbsf1]

250 people dead acording to bbc news, 7 states in a state of emergency. Lets hope for all of those in that area to be ok.

 

[diabolicwyvern]

Does anyone know who close the tornadoes where to the University of Alabama?

 

[Mrs. Famine]

Natural disasters affect everyone.

In a fashion as there are always the casualties to think about. But - live in the UK and you're safe from everything. Our thunderstorms are dull, we've had one hurricane in the last 20 years, we do have one of the highest numbers of tornados in the world per year but they're tiny and the most damage they do is perhaps pull a couple of roof tiles off or perhaps upturn a few hedgehogs. We do seem to suffer with flooding a lot but this tends to be isolated and rarely ends in death. We do seem to have one "decent" earthquake every few years - usually a 3 or 4 and might knock over something on the shelves a bit

Come to the UK! We don't suffer with natural disasters!

I hope you guys in Georgia are holding up OK.

 

[Sureboss]

To add to that somewhat, I actually find it quite hard to comprehend storms of that size and power, given just how weak our storms are here. Though we do suffer from torrential snow, it reaches a centimetre and it's madness.

We also lose lots of fence panels.

Hope all GTP'ers are okay.

 

[Horde_R35]

To add to that somewhat, I actually find it quite hard to comprehend storms of that size and power, given just how weak our storms are here. Though we do suffer from torrential snow, it reaches a centimetre and it's madness.

We also lose lots of fence panels.

Hope all GTP'ers are okay.

What about all the other people?!

 

[K1500]

Does anyone know who close the tornadoes where to the University of Alabama?

If you're familiar with the campus, probably around a half mile or so south of Bryant-Denny, and about a half mile east of where University crosses over McFarland. It was VERY close, we got lucky. The areas south and east of campus are devastated, just nonexistent. It was really astonishing seeing this in person.

For those who don't understand why people live in "such dangerous areas," it's rare for tornadoes this large to hit this far south; we can hardly be considered to be in "tornado alley." Most tornadoes we have are only EF1 or EF2. This was an EF4 (an order of magnitude larger). Tornadoes are also very hit-and-miss, whereas many other natural disasters, such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and forest fires, are very widespread. In my eyes, the risk of being hit is quite low, but the results of being hit can be extreme (such as in this case). EF1s usually just blow down trees; no big deal compared to this.

 

[Starfirebird]

Yesterday was probably one of the most scariest days of my life.

I live in Northeast Tennessee in a small town called Telford and by the time the brunt of the storm got close to my area it was pitch black dark.Not good for this type of weather.

I was outside taking pictures(i take pictures of thunderstorms,dangerous hobby) and keeping an eye on the radar.The first two systems completely went around my area.During this time i was able to catch some photos of the wall clouds that was over Baileyton and South Central area.The lightning strikes were unreal.There was a lightning strike every 2 seconds for nearly 4 hours.It was crazy.

Ok it's now 10:40 at night and i have just checked the latest radar.There is a Super-Cell system heading straight for Telford.I call my parents and friends who live in the area to warn them of it hitting in maybe the next 15 minutes.

I'm still outside taking pictures when i get a phone call.My friend told me that a Tornado had touched down in Southern Telford(where i live).I was engulfed with fear, i stood frozen on my front porch.By the time i gathered myself, off to the east i could hear what sounded like a low rumbling thunder.This sound stayed constant for at least 3 minutes and went from the South to the North.Not sure if this was a Tornado as i couldn't see anything,but it was scary nonetheless.

After that i finally went down in the basement and kept the radio on and had my laptop beside me for radar.I didn't get in the bed til 2:30 this morning.

I've lived in this area for nearly 29 years now and we have never had this kind of weather.Sure we have had some severe thunderstorms,but nothing that could produce Tornadoes.

I've heard somewhere that the Jet Stream has changed and my area and the areas that were hit so bad yesterday are now part of "Tornado Alley" I hope this isn't true as i don't want to have that feeling again.

If this type of thing ever happens again.I'm going straight to the basement no questions asked.

 

[Frostyboys]

I live in georgia too but it missed us

 

[Starfirebird]

I live in georgia too but it missed us

Glad to hear it missed you.

An area 20 miles from where i live wasn't so lucky.Horse Creek and Camp Creek off Highway 107 was torn up pretty bad by a F2 Tornado.

One of the ladies i work with was lucky.She said it missed her house by so many odd feet and the couple that lived across the street from her wasn't so lucky.She said she would bring pictures the next time she sees me.

Also not even 8 miles from my house in Jonesborough a man called in to the local radio station saying one of his cows had went missing only to find it later in a tree.

 

[CodeRedR51]

The thing about these storms for me is two fold:

- They're awesome in their power and thrilling to watch. Storm Chasers is probably one of my all time favorite shows, and I plan on taking some online courses in the field if things don't go my way in Silverstone.

- But they are also extremely scary, destructive, and take people's lives. One of the Storm Chaser episodes last season they came across a town that had been hit and had to help some guy out of the rubble from his house. Was really scary, and one of the reasons I would never live in that area.

 

[Starfirebird]

The thing about these storms for me is two fold:

- They're awesome in their power and thrilling to watch. Storm Chasers is probably one of my all time favorite shows, and I plan on taking some online courses in the field if things don't go my way in Silverstone.

- But they are also extremely scary, destructive, and take people's lives. One of the Storm Chaser episodes last season they came across a town that had been hit and had to help some guy out of the rubble from his house. Was really scary, and one of the reasons I would never live in that area.

I seen that episode.

It was an eye opening episode for sure.I felt so bad for the people in that town.

 

[maxpontiac]

My prayers go out to all of you who have been affected by the tornado's.

God Bless all of you.

 

[skynyrd]

Checking in from North Alabama!

Power is out everywhere except in occasional patches, like most of the city of Athens. Power's out at home, so I'm currently leeching bandwidth from a library I found that is offering free laptop/cell phone recharging services and wireless internet.

Last I heard, the death count here was 194.

After talking with the utility people over the phone, it seems that some areas, such as Limestone County, are ready for power, but the TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority, they provide electricity for much of the area) are dragging their feet for some reason. Some of these areas are ready for power and have been for a day or more, but the TVA hasn't ok'd it yet. It's incredibly frustrating for the people living there.

Anyway, as I was trying to get to my 83 year old grandmother in Huntsville (she has no power either), i stumbled across the tornado's path. You know what you see on TV and in pictures of storm damage? It is nothing compared to seeing it firsthand; it is a horrible, horrible thing. That is all I'll say about that.

Anyway, I was lucky. My power's out, but that's the only thing wrong at home at the moment. My family dodged a bullet this time. Some of my co-workers weren't so lucky; one lived in a trailer park that was utterly destroyed, and several others' homes suffered serious damage. Trees are down everywhere, but the utility people coming from all over are doing a great job getting everything put back together. Seeing what I've seen on Hwy 72 on the way to Huntsville, they have a lot of work ahead of them.